While summer always seems to afford more time for hobbies, such as reading, I find myself engaging in them more in the winter. Perhaps it is due to summer's temperate climate and the ease of so many activities; the sun sets lay and outdoor activities don't lead to numb limbs so you're never in too much of a hurry to get back inside and pick up a book or make art. So, it's usually on dreary winter days that I choose to curl up with a nice book and cozy blanket. Of course we don't really have more time in summer or winter, but rather we make decisions every day on how to use the time we're given. Even one chapter at night before bed is a few pages you would have missed out on otherwise. Interestingly enough, while sitting at home with a book might seem anti-social there was a recent study that states reading improves social skills. The type of book does matter, researchers say that literary fiction often "leaves more to the imagination, encouraging readers to make inferences about characters and be sensitive to emotional nuance and complexity." I suppose this means I should consider trading in my book of poems for something more substantial...